


Where Do You Think Your Going?

by Medilia



Series: Whumptober 2020 [5]
Category: Compilation of Final Fantasy VII
Genre: Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Whumptober
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-04
Updated: 2020-10-04
Packaged: 2021-03-07 17:55:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,017
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26821756
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Medilia/pseuds/Medilia
Summary: Sometimes choices have to be made. Sometimes those choices have consequences. Reno’s choice was to say “No.” AU- Reno refused to drop the plate.
Series: Whumptober 2020 [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1946995
Comments: 6
Kudos: 13
Collections: Whumptober 2020





	Where Do You Think Your Going?

**Author's Note:**

> Day 5: #Whumptober2020  
> Prompt: Where Do You Think You’re Going? - On The Run

Reno had gone to a lot of work to hide, he had left Midgar even though all instincts told him to go to ground in the slums, but the Turks would know to look there. So he had escaped before they put up roadblocks. He had gotten to Kalm where he had stripped the dye from his hair and cut it short. It felt strange to be without the ponytail which he had worked so hard to grow. But with his ponytail, bangs and obnoxious red hair gone his only distinguishing feature was his tattoos. 

From Kalm, Reno had continued east all the way to Mideel. Every day he had to look over his shoulder and wonder where Rude and Tseng were, the President would no doubt have sent them after him. The president… Rufus, that was an unexpected change, but long overdue. Reno wished he could have been there to see it. He had waited so long for Rufus to get this position. But Reno had committed treason, to see Rufus as President would mean leaving in a body bag. 

Something Reno realised not too long after arriving in Mideel was that he was not much good at anything but being a Turk. He had tried to work as a labourer but he lacked the brute strength required to lift and carry building materials. He had not lasted three hours as a waiter before having the overwhelming urge to punch a customer in the face. As a butcher, Reno made the startling discovery that while he liked to eat meat he did not like to see it when it was still animal shaped. Eventually, after several weeks, he circled back to working at a restaurant, this time washing dishes. It was boring, so very boring with painfully low pay, but it meant that he could afford food and a generous colleague even let him sleep on their couch. 

From Mideel, Reno watched the world try to end. The rise of the WEAPONS, the coming of METEOR, Shinra tower being destroyed, and then the moment the lifestream burst from the planet. After all of this, Reno wanted to leave, wanted to go and see what became of Midgar, Shinra and his family. But fear kept him in place. 

A year passed, Reno grew comfortable in his little corner of the world. The destruction of Shinra and reported death of Rufus saddened him, but also told him that he would be alright, he would not be hunted down. And so it came as quite the shock to Reno when, on a hot summer’s day, his colleague came into the kitchen advising that a Shinra helicopter had been seen landed just outside of town and there were two men that looked like Shinra’s Turks going around and talking to people. 

Reno wanted to run, it was his first urge, but he had spent over a year fighting his first urge and it had served him well so far. Taking a deep breath he merely stated how weird such events were and turned back to his job keeping his head down. What were they doing here? Certainly not looking for him. The Turks had much more important things to do than look for him after all of this time. He had not caused Shinra any trouble (what was left of Shinra) and he had kept his head down.   
The bell above the front door rang and Reno, over powered by a fresh wave paranoia left his post at the dishwasher to see who had come in. To his relief, it was a regular, but just as he turned back towards the dishwasher the door opened again. Reno dived behind the small wall near the service window so that he was out of sight. 

Misty, who stood at the counter, cheerfully greeted Tseng and Rude with a bright smile and a polite. “Welcome darlings, what can I be gettin’ you?”

“We’re looking for someone,” Tseng’s voice was like a knife driven into Reno’s gut whilst also being a longed-for comfort. Reno had known Tseng for thirteen years and the year apart had been far too long. Reno was glad that Rude was the silent type, or else he would not have had the strength to push himself from the wall and start running. 

He had not gotten far before he saw Rude and Tseng chasing behind him. He was faster than them, he always had been. Reno just had to keep running until he lost them and then… who knew what he would do then. 

Rude’s flying tackle came as a surprise he impacted Reno’s hips knocking them both to the ground. The air was driven from Reno’s lungs but that did not stop him from fighting back. He did not want to die. 

“Stop fightin’ me partner,” Rude grunted, “We aren’t going to hurt you. Stop it, we just want you to come home. Please, Reno, let us bring you home.”

It took several seconds for Reno to understand what Rude was saying, to realise that Rude was not fighting him. The big man was just holding Reno tightly and pleading with him to let them take him home. Reno stopped fighting and instead wrapped his own arms around Rude, tears burned his eyes as he held on to the bigger man. He had missed him, missed him so bad.

Tseng came to stand over them, he said nothing, but when Reno looked up he saw that rare, genuine smile that Tseng reserved only for the most important moments.

Finally, Rude and Reno pulled apart and Rude pulled the redhead to his feet before clearing his throat and adjusting his glasses. Reno turned to look at Tseng, Rude’s forgiveness and love were easy, almost a given, Tseng was a little bit less predictable. 

“Rufus has had us pouring all our resources and energy into finding you. He wants his family to be complete and it isn’t without you.”

“Rufus is alive?”

Tseng nodded and reached a hand out touching Reno’s shoulder. “We have much to discuss. Let’s get you home.”

**Author's Note:**

> This would have made a great long-fic... maybe one day. 
> 
> Also, I am bad at sad endings so I ended it happily.


End file.
